Sweet Dreams
by cindergal
Summary: Three people awake in the middle of the night. Post-S3 Carol/Daryl.


Carol has never minded three a.m. feedings. She'd enjoyed the peace and quiet of it, the stillness, and the feeling that it was just the two of them, her and Sophia, awake while the rest of the world was sleeping. So she never minds when it's her turn to keep Judith for the night. But tonight, when the baby looks up at her with her big, trusting eyes, Carol is surprised to find her cheeks suddenly wet with tears. The ache in her heart feels as fresh as the day she saw Sophia walk out of that barn She lets the tears come, pulling Judith a little closer and nuzzling the soft downy hair on top of her head, finding comfort in her warmth and sweet scent.

"Hey," Daryl says from the doorway of her cell.

Carol finds herself smiling despite her tears. "Oh, hi. Did we wake you?" she whispers, wiping the tears from her face. She'd done her best to quiet Judith quickly when she woke up, before she woke the whole cell block too, but Daryl is right next door.

"Nah," he says quietly, taking a step into the room. "Not sleepin' too well these days, anyway."

"More bad dreams?" She knows he's had them ever since Merle died.

He just nods, hesitates. "Want some company?"

"Sure." Carol slides over on her bunk to make room for him to sit down. Judith is nearly done with her bottle already – she's quite the eater. But Carol always welcomes his company. When he ducks his head under the top bunk, he notices she's been crying.

"You alright?" he asks, touching her hand briefly before he sits down.

His arm brushes against hers as he settles in next to her, and she still marvels at the closeness that's developed between them over the past several months. It's a gift in a life that holds precious few these days, and makes her teary all over again.

"Yeah. I'm just…missing Sophia."

He nods his head, concern in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine. I just never quite know when it's going to hit me, you know? I'll be going along okay and then, bam."

"Yeah," he says tiredly, "I know."

She reaches out her free hand and grabs his, giving it a squeeze. He doesn't say anything, but lets her hand linger there for a moment, curling his fingers around hers. She pulls away when Judith starts to fuss and Carol realizes that she's finished her bottle. But before Carol has a chance to burp her, Daryl is reaching for the baby, putting her over his shoulder and rubbing her back gently. Carol smiles and relaxes back against her pillow, just watching them for a while.

"How'd you get so good with babies?" she asks him.

"Had cousins younger 'n me. My mama and her sister used to get together and drink their wine, and I'd get stuck watching the kids." He shrugs. "Didn't really mind, though."

"Well you're a natural," she says, just as Judith lets out a loud belch, and they both laugh.

"Got any more in there, sweetheart?" Daryl asks her, but Carol can see the baby's eyelids fluttering closed as she nestles comfortably into Daryl's shoulder. He doesn't show any sign of wanting to hand her over, and Carol gets a little lump in her throat. Ed never wanted anything to do with Sophia when she was a baby, and it had about broken her heart.

"You ever want to have a family of your own?" she impulsively asks him. As much as he's opened up since they've met, he still doesn't talk about himself that much, so she's not quite sure how he'll respond.

He shakes his head. "When did I have the chance? Never even wanted to bring a girl around Merle, least not one I cared two licks about," he says. "Forget raising a kid around him."

It saddens her to think of the ways Daryl's life has been limited by his brother, but she understands it all too well. She would have loved to have a career, but wasn't allowed one. She would have loved to have more children, but not if it meant they'd have Ed as a father.

"Not that he weren't good with 'em," Daryl continues. "He actually liked the little ones, Merle did, believe it or not."

"I believe it. Merle seemed like…a complicated guy."

Daryl snorts. "Ain't that the truth."

"He and I had a conversation before he left here that day, you know." She smiles. "He told me I was a late bloomer."

Daryl raises an eyebrow. "And what'd you say to that?"

"I told him, maybe he was too."

Daryl looks away, blinking back tears. "Well, I reckon maybe you both were right."

"I reckon so," she agrees.

He leans forward to kiss the top of Judith's head. His hair, which has gotten long, falls into his eyes, and Carol has the silly urge to brush it off his face. And then she thinks, what the hell, and does just that. As her fingers graze his forehead, he doesn't pull away like she expects. He just closes his eyes, and when she cups his cheek in her hand, he sighs and leans ever so slightly into her touch. He opens his eyes when she moves her hand away.

"I should go," he says softly, but he doesn't move.

"Think you can sleep?"

He shrugs, his mouth quirking up at one corner. "Worth a try, I guess."

She takes the baby from him and places her in the portable crib while Daryl hauls himself out of the bottom bunk.

"Night," he says, pausing in her doorway.

"Sweet dreams, Daryl."

"Might actually have a shot at havin' some now."

"Yeah," she says, smiling as she watches him walk way. "Me too."


End file.
